Collapsible boat



April 4-, 1944. B. FJRANDRUP 2,346,081

' COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed May 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l T I I'NVENTORT yfmm A TTORNE Y.

April 1944- B. F. RANDRUP COLLAPSIBLE BOAT '2 Shecs-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1942 INVENTORT 9. fiwm A TTORNE).

Patented Apr. 4, 1944 omrso STATS PATENT crem COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Benjamin F. Randrup, Brisbane, Calif.

Application May 4, 1942, Serial No. 441,572

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible boats.

An object of my invention is to provide a collapsible boat embodying a construction which is capable of being readily collapsed or folded into a compact form for convenience in handling, storage or transportation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a collapsible wooden boat having a novel construction wherein the various parts are so arranged that when in a folded or collapsed form they may be speedily assembled and converted into a water-tight and operable boat adapted to safely support a number of persons.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved collapsible boat, which when in an assembled and operable form, provides a rigid and sea-worthy construction wherein a considerable amount of material and a number of persons may be safely carried without unusual likelihood of damage or injury from leaks, capsizing or foundering.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter, indicated in the appended claim, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purpose of this application I have elected to show herein certain forms and details of a collapsible boat representative of my invention; it is to be understood, however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is for the purpose of illustration only, and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor is it to be given an interpretation such as might have the effect of limiting the claim short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a collapsible boat embodying the preferred principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the same;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, showing by the broken lines the general shape and the manner in which the various parts of the boat are folded into a collapsed form;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed view taken on the line I----'! of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic side view showing the relative positions of the various parts of the boat when folded or collapsed;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line I III of Fig. 2.

On those figures of the drawings showing the boat in a set-up and operabl position there is disclosed two elongated bottom members I and 2 which are flexibly connected together along their inner longitudinal and adjacent edges by an intervening strip 3 of waterproof fabric, such as canvas. The waterproof strip 3 is secured to the bottom members I and 2 by means of nailed or glued battens 4. In order to protect the strip 3 from above there is provided an overlying inner flexible strip 5 which is fastened to the bottom members I and 2 as by nailed or glued wooden strips 6. (See Fig. 11.) The bottom members I and 2 are made preferably from flat panels of semi-rigid and flexible material such as plywood, and normally when not bent each is somewhat triangular in shape, but provided with an upwardly curved lower forward edge which terminates at a pointed front end. When the boat is set up and the various parts are in assembled cooperating positions, the bottom members I and 2 at their rear ends are slightly inclined in opposite directions but proceeding forwardly they gradually assume positions of increased inclinations while at the same time they gradually curve outwardly, upwardly and forwardly to form compound bends or convex surfaces at points adjacent but just rearwardly of the pointed bow I. At points near their forward ends the bottom members I and 2 assume almost perpendicular positions with respect to each other, thereby providing a pointed bow which reduces resistance when proceeding through the water to a minimum.

Flexibly connected to the outer edges of the bottom members I and 2, respectively, are substantially triangular shaped elongated side members 8 and 9. The adjacent edges of the bottom and side members are slightly spaced one from the other, but are flexibly connected together by waterproof strips ID of canvas or other suitable material. The flexible strips Ill are preferably secured to the side and bottom members by means of nailed or glued battens I I. Inner flexible strips I9 serve to prevent dirt or other material from accumulating in the crevices normally located between the adjacent edges of the side and bottom members.

The stern of the boat is formed by means of a flexible rear end member I2 oi waterproof material such as canvas, which is substantially rectangular in shape. The lateral and lower edges of the flexible rear end member are secured, respectively, to the side members 8 and 9 and to the bottom members I and 2 by means of bolted metal strips I3 which serve also as rigid reenforcing members for the rear edges of the said bottom and side members. Bolted or otherwise suitably attached to the upper edges of the side members 8 and 9 are a plurality of spaced wooden re-enforcing strips 14.

Hinged as at IE to the rear end of the side member 8 is a rigid rear panel I6 which is of sufiicient length to extend across the rear end of the boat. Hinged as at H to the rear end of the side member 9 is another rigid rear panel I8 I which is also of sufficient length to extend across the rear end of the boat. The rear panels l6 and I8 when extended are positioned in lengthwise engagement with each other and provide rigid stiffening members for maintaining the flexible rear end member l2 in a taut position. The rear panels l6 and I8 are adapted to fold against the side members 8 and 8, respectively. When in an extended position as shown in Fig. 2, the rear panels l6 and 18 are preferably secured together at different points by means of suitable detachable clamps i9.

Extending across the interior of the boat in engagement with the side and bottom members are a plurality of rigid U-shaped ribs or frame members 29, which are notched at their upper ends so as to engage with the lower edges of the re-eniorcing strips M. The firm engagement of the lower edges of the strips ill with the upper endsof the frame members provides-means for maintaining the side members 8 and 9 in rigidly supported positions with respect to the said frame members. The lower or transverse sides of the U-shaped ribs 25! are held in place by opposed sets of raised strips 2! which are suitably secured to bottom members I and 2. When the boat is being set up it becomes necessary to exert'an inner pull upon the upper edges of the side members 8 and 9 in order to bring the side and bottom members into their proper relative positions as well as into firm engagement with the U-shaped ribs 20 (see Fig. 6). The preferred means used to accomplish this result comprises a number of pivoted three-piece clamps 2?. of the kind employing a principle commonly used in trunk latches to secure a lid to the main body. The clamps 22 are mounted on the upper ends of the U-shaped members 2i), and each clamp is adapted to engage with an upwardly disposed member 22' secured to the upper edges of the side members 8 and 9, and by swinging the lever members of the clamps inwardly, the side members at their upper edges are drawn toward each other. When so drawn toward each other, they engage firmly with the frame members 2t, thereby forming a rigid construction throughout the length of the boat. At the same time the bottom and side members are suitably bent in a member providing a hull wherein the bow has a closely simulating that of a rigid boat of the canoe type.

Hinged centrally as at 23 to the lower side of the rear rib 2b is a brace 24 which is detachably fastened at its rear end as by means of one of the clamps 19 to the parallel rear panels i6 and l8. The lower edge of the brace 24 is hinged as at 25 to a bottom piece 26 which removably rests upon the adjacent edges of the bottom members l and 2. The brace 24 provides a rigid reenforcing structure for the rear end of the boat when it is desired that the latter be equipped with an outboard or other type motor.

When the boat is to be collapsed for convenience in carrying, storage or handling, the clamps [9 and 22 are first removed, following which the U-shaped ribs 25, the rear brace 24 and .the bottom piece 26 are bodily lifted or otherwise removed from the inside of the boat. The rear panels l6 and [8 are swung against their adjacent side members 8 and 9, respectively, and each of the latter is then folded inwardly against their associated and connected bottom members I and 2, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 6. The flexible rear member I2 is folded inwardly or forwardly at its center, and the bottom members I and 2, together with their connected side members 8 and 9, are then folded inwardly toward and into engagement with each other. A strip or other fastening means may be tied around the folded structure, preferably at its rear end, to maintain the detached and connected parts in folded or collapsed positions. By reason of the flexibility of the side and bottom members, whatever curvatures they had when in set-up positions will no longer remain after the various pressures are removed. The folded structure will therefore not be bulky or occupy a great deal of space. Owing to the novel manner in which the parts are arranged and connected together, the time required to assemble the structure into an operable boat is but a few minutes. The particular way in which the various pressures are applied and distributed to the assembled parts gives the boat a rigidity comparable to that of an uncollapsible type, while at the same time there are no damaging strains or stresses which are apt to weaken the structure in any particular at any point.

The various parts of the boat are so arranged, shaped and connected together that the forces normally exerted upon the bottom and sides by the water contacting therewith, shown by the outer arrows in Fig. 6, are such that the outward pressures from the inside when the boat is loaded are substantially counterbalanced, thereby relieving all outward strains upon the connecting waterproof strips.

Having described my invention, what I claim In a collapsible boat, a pair of oppositely inclined elongated bottom members having upwardly curved forward edges, the said bottom members being flexibly joined one to the other along their adjacent longitudinal and forward edges, the said members being each substantially flat when not in a set-up position but having a convex shape near their forward ends when in a set-up position, the said bottom members being arranged to fold one toward the other, an elongated side member flexibly secured along its ongitudinal lower edge to the upper edge of each bottom member, the said side members being each foldable upon its adjacent bottom member, a foldable rear member secured to the rear ends of the bottom and side members, a plurality of substantially U-shaped frame members removably mounted to hold the side, bottom and rear members in spread-apart positions, detachable fastening means for securing the side members to the U-shaped members, a rear re-enforcing panel hinged to the rear end of each of the side members and arranged to extend across the rear end of the boat, and a removable brace interposed between the rear panels and one of the frame members.

BENJAMIN F. RANDRUP. 

